Risks of NSAIDs You Should Know

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include over-the-counter drugs like Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and aspirin. A paper published in The American Journal of Accountable Care noted the frequent and serious complications that are all too typical for those who regularly use these drugs:

“A systematic review of 17 prospective observational studies found that 11% of preventable drug-related hospital admissions could be attributed to NSAIDs.”

“Studies have documented that the risk of adverse events associated with NSAIDs are both dose-dependent and duration dependent”

myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, kidney problems, and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding as some of the serious potential side effects

“Some estimates suggest that each year more than 100,000 patients are hospitalized for NSAID-related GI complications alone”

“NSAID use has been associated with increased risk for hospitalization due to MI as well as for heart failure (HF).”

“Likewise, acute renal failure, which is also associated with NSAID use, can ultimately lead to expensive dialysis treatment.”

Just because a drug is sold without a prescription, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have serious side effects.